The school community of St John’s Catholic Primary School, Dapto, have been reunited on the same campus for the first time since 1983, thanks to the development of $9m worth of student-centred learning spaces.

Students and staff were joined by the Hon Stephen Jones MP; Director of Schools, Peter Hill; and members of the school community, when the Bishop of Wollongong, Most Rev Brian Mascord DD, visited the school on Tuesday 21 November 2023 to officially bless and open the new facilities.

St John’s students and staff are now enjoying nine brand new classrooms and 12 refurbished classrooms, each providing flexible learning spaces to accommodate the evolving needs of students. The upgrades also included the refurbishment of the administration block, outdoor learning spaces and playgrounds, which have been revitalised to enable a range of play and sports activities.

Director of Schools, Peter Hill, said the updated facilities represent Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong’s ongoing commitment to providing quality learning and teaching environments for students and their families throughout the diocese.

“The purpose of a Catholic school is to give students every opportunity to grow in faith and improve in their learning,” said Mr Hill.  

“Bringing the two St John’s campuses together provides greater opportunities for students to achieve their best—academically, socially, physically, and spiritually, through the high quality teaching and the rich relationships within the school and parish community.”

St John's is a systemic three-stream co-educational school catering to around 600 students from Kindergarten to Year 6. Acting Principal, Matthew Downes, said the expansion and redevelopment will make it easier for teachers to respond to the individual learning needs of students.   

“The new flexible learning spaces provide a range of options for individual, small group and whole-class learning experiences,” he said. “These spaces empower both teachers and students by providing a dynamic, adaptable and engaging educational environment.”